Amsterdam one of Europe’s most expensive city break destinations

According to a price comparison index put together by the UK Post Office, Amsterdam is the priciest city break destination in Europe - something which likely doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone living in the city!

Lisbon tops City Costs Barometer 2023

Every year, Post Office Travel Money compares the cost of a weekend trip to various European cities in order to determine the most affordable holiday destinations for UK travellers. The City Costs Barometer examines the price of a number of key necessities for tourists, including accommodation, food and drink, public transport, and cultural attractions. 

This year’s edition of the report compared 12 “typical tourist costs” in 35 European cities regarded as top holiday destinations for people in the UK. Lisbon and the Lithuanian capital Vilnius claimed the top two spots in this year’s ranking. In spite of high inflation rates across Europe, the City Costs Barometer found that prices in Lisbon have risen by just 2 percent over the past year. 

Amsterdam ranked the priciest destination in Europe

While Lisbon was found to be the most affordable city break destination in Europe, Amsterdam occupied a spot right at the other end of the ranking. Indeed, together with Venice, the Dutch capital was ranked the most expensive destination in Europe, particularly due to the high price of accommodation. 

While accommodation prices have risen across the majority of the areas surveyed, Amsterdam was found to have the highest accommodation prices out of all 35 cities - 525 British pounds for two nights. The cost of cultural activities in the Dutch capital is also among the highest in Europe, beaten only by Dubrovnik and Vienna.

Between accommodation costs, the average price of a cup of coffee (2,71 pounds), a 48-hour public transport travel card (12,19 pounds), a museum ticket (18,06 pounds), and a three-course dinner for two (88,96 pounds), the overall cost of a weekend trip to Amsterdam came in at 727,07 pounds.

Best value city destinations in Europe

According to the 2023 City Costs Barometer, the top 10 best-value city break destinations in Europe are:

1. Lisbon, Portugal (224,76 pounds)
2. Vilnius, Lithuania (225,01 pounds)
3. Krakow, Poland (250,91 pounds)
4. Athens, Greece (262,22 pounds)
5. Riga, Latvia (284,99 pounds)
6. Porto, Portugal (325,30 pounds)
7. Zagreb, Croatia (329,71 pounds)
8. Budapest, Hungary (330,53 pounds)
9. Warsaw, Poland (330,95 pounds)
10. Lille, France (332,11 pounds)

For more information about the report, visit the UK Post Office website.

Thumb: Taiga via Shutterstock.com.